Should the Broncos come up short against the Carolina Panthers, Manning could very well decide that he's not quite ready to hang it up. Should that be the case, the result could be a (sort of) significant hit to his legacy.

Whether the Denver Broncos win Super Bowl 50 or not, if Manning was to return next season, his projected cap hit would be a ridiculous $21.5 million. Denver has several key players needing new deals and the Broncos appear to be ready to hand the keys to the franchise over to quarterback Brock Osweiler. Not sure where Manning's huge deal fits in.

Think about it; what all-time great NFL quarterback was forced to bounce around from team-to-team because he was no longer wanted by his former team? Sure, Brett Favre played for multiple teams, but you can explain that one away with the fact that the Green Bay Packers had Aaron Rodgers waiting.

Combine another terrible season with a third team and the fact that he would have then been cut twice, and I think it's fair to say you have yourself at the very least a small hit to the legacy of Peyton Manning.